Cody Steinmann Reclaims Chaos Through Sound in His Transformative 2025 Release "Stray Bullet Blues"

Jazz has always been a language of truth, the kind that doesn’t hide behind perfection or polish but leans into vulnerability, spontaneity, and raw humanity. Minneapolis-based guitarist and composer Cody Steinmann understands this deeply.

Known for his genre-bending approach, blistering technique, and emotionally charged improvisation, he’s become one of the defining creative voices in the region’s contemporary jazz scene. His work moves between tradition and boundary-pushing experimentation, drawing on influences that stretch across jazz, metal, blues, hip-hop, and modern classical sensibilities.

2025 pushed Steinmann into a new chapter, one shaped not by musical ambition, but by a moment that could have taken everything from him.

Stray Bullet Blues, the release chosen for BUZZMUSIC’s Best Independent Artists of 2025, was born from a harrowing experience: on October 7, 2023, a stray bullet shattered the window of Cody’s home, turning a place of safety into a moment of shock and existential clarity. The event left no physical wounds, but its emotional aftershocks were immense. A reminder of how fragile life is, and how quickly everything can change.

Instead of burying the experience, Cody transformed it. What emerged is one of his most powerful, introspective works to date, a fiery blend of jazz, blues, rock, metal, and improvisational intensity. Recorded in a single six-hour session, Stray Bullet Blues feels urgent, alive, and honest. Every note carries the weight of vulnerability and the determination to reclaim the narrative, turning chaos into expression, fear into reflection, and uncertainty into art.

Steinmann’s liner notes describe the album as “a musical expression of a harrowing personal experience… not simply a recounting of trauma, but a reclaiming of it.” And that’s exactly what the record achieves. It’s not about shock value. It’s about empathy — for ourselves, for the people around us, and for anyone living in a reality where safety isn’t always guaranteed.

Outside of the studio, 2025 saw Cody expanding his impact as both a performer and educator. He toured more extensively with his trio, poured himself into teaching, and worked toward finding balance, carving out time for rest, loved ones, and grounding his craft. His approach to music is inseparable from his approach to life: honest, focused, and committed to growth.

Looking ahead to 2026, Steinmann is driven by intention. He’s set on finishing two albums he’s producing, recording a new trio project, and continuing his mission of spreading knowledge and building community through music. His advice for fellow artists mirrors the ethos behind Stray Bullet Blues: invest in yourself, love yourself, stay brutally honest, but hold that honesty with grace. Growth matters more than perfection. Focus matters more than fear.

Stray Bullet Blues emerged from a real moment of danger, shock, and emotional upheaval. When you look back at the day that the bullet entered your home, what part of that experience shaped the core of this album the most?

I feel like my initial reaction, my girlfriend's initial reaction, the sound of the bullet blowing through the home, and the perspective that arose months later really shaped the core of this album. It was an experience I’ll never forget, and I wish it upon no one. I feel blessed to be alive; it could have been much worse.

You recorded the entire project in a single six-hour session,  a rare feat in modern jazz. How did the intensity of that day shape the performances, the improvisation, and the emotional urgency captured on the record?

Well, I think we all knew what happened. Everyone in the band had been to my place and seen the holes in my window and walls; some of them saw all the glass dust the bullet spread through the home. I think it was clear to everyone what the energy of this album would be. We also only had one day to record, so we had no choice but to get it done. Some took a little longer than others. But most are the 1st or 2nd takes.

You’ve talked about wanting listeners to take away empathy, for themselves, for others, for different perspectives and traditions. What role do you think empathy plays in jazz composition and improvisation?

I think empathy can play a huge role in jazz composition and improvisation. Everyone has their own motives and intentions behind making music, not always being empathy. But I know a lot of my favorite artists, at some point, came to a place where they wanted to foster a connection between people through their music. To do that, it requires a lot of empathy. At the most basic level, I would even argue that it takes a certain kind of empathy for your bandmates to play this music well.

Your work blends jazz, blues, rock, and metal with improvisational fire. How do you navigate those influences without losing the emotional clarity of your message?

Well, I never really saw any of these music styles as separate from each other. They’re all under the umbrella of Black American Music as far as I see it. Rock and Metal have a particular edge, but their roots are in the blues. To me, genres are like kinds of food. I don’t eat burgers every day, for every meal. There might be some foods I eat every day, but I’m definitely mixing it up where I can. So why would I only listen to one genre of music? I believe in the study of music; it’s part of the craft. But that’s a different mindset than purely listening to music for enjoyment.

Teaching has become a major part of your life in 2025. How has sharing your musical knowledge with students influenced your own artistic growth or reshaped the way you think about your instrument?

In so many ways. Teaching teaches me. It teaches me empathy and different perspectives. It teaches me to let go of my own needs and be present with someone else and their needs. Some students have put me on to new music. Other students have things they want to explore, and I find myself having fun exploring things with them. Overall, teaching has helped me understand music more deeply.

You mentioned that this was one of the most stressful periods of your life, both good stress and bad. How did the chaos around you impact your creativity, discipline, and relationship to your craft?

Well, it just felt kind of surreal, dealing with the PTSD, while making the record, and dealing with people and their attitudes was crazy. I found myself having to really decide what I want and why. I think I learned just how strong I actually am through this whole process. There were a lot of distractions, but I feel the event propelled me into laser focus. My relationship to the craft has always been deeply personal and emotionally driven. This whole experience taught me to double down on that.

Heading into 2026 with plans for new trio recordings and two albums in production, what creative shift or perspective are you bringing into this next era that you didn’t have a year ago?

My perspective now is, just do it. Make it happen, find a way, even if you fail thousands of times. Just keep going. The newly produced records expand on my previous ones, but with the next trio of records, I plan to do something a little different. Same energy, but the vision going into it is much clearer. I like to be surprised and will always leave room in my work for it. But I have a clearer vision of this upcoming trio record than I have of previous ones.